Electric fire-alarm.



W. E. HOWELLS.

ELECTRIC FIRE ALARM.

APPLICATION 'FILED JAN.7,1914,

.115 f Y u W. E. HOWBLLS.

ELECTRIC FIRE ALARM.

APPLIUATION FILED JAN. 7, 1914.

Ljlpi, Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

WITNESSES ffm/mlm@ @"1" 1"' w a I a intatta f applicants alternano-a 7, iaii. serial national.. v

@will whom' tmc [concern:

Beit known -t at l, Wittner E. Hour- ELLs a citizen of the United Statesg anda resi ent of Peckville, in the county of Lackaivanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and improved Electric.Fire-` Alarm, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description` "lhis invention relates to an electric fire. alarm of that type including .a heat re-` sponsive device which at a,l predetermined rise in temperature of the atmosphere will close an electric circuit including one 0i more alarms or otherwarning devices..

A 'lhe invention has ferite general obiects to improve and simplifythe construction and operation of apparatus ot the. class lde scribed so as to be reliable' and veiicieiit in use, comparatively simple and :tnexpensive to manufacture and so designed as to form a complete unitary` o self-contained article.

Another object o the invention is the provision of an alarm device of the char-V acter referred to which embodies ai eely or other source of current, a hell and a t er mostatically actuated circuit-closing means` which can be installed inany desired room or place to be protected, and if desired thel apparatus maybe used in connection With an external circuit including one or more bells or other warning devices and a source of current which Will take the place of the cell Within the device, there being adjustable means whereby the circuits can be closed in any desired temperature of the atmos phere. l

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an alarm devicevvhich includes a casing which has removably mounted therein the Working apparatus that con'- stitutes a unitary structure and includes a` bell, battery, thermostat, circuit.l closing.v means and the necessary circuit connections, and suchunitary structure being fastened in the casing by means of a removable/.or adjustable element' of the circuit closer which element has on its outer end la--lianfi Wiiicli is movable over a temperature. dial 1 W ereby the circuit closer can be adjusted; to close .thev alarm circuits at any temperature, i, 'j

,With such, jobjeGtSiii view, yand others which lWiil 4 appear 'as the description .pro ceeds, the invention lcomprises various novel features of. construction and Veiiaiigeiiient 0f parte sect1 as will te.. tarte i @dtml l in, or redevient; aanverwante,

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speoiieationgdf Letters ratent.

i "Patented Fobie, lleida following description and claims appended whereto.

indicate corresponding parts in all the views, Figure 1 is a front view of the alarm,

showingV the door of the casing thereof open and with parts of the device in section; Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2--2, Eig. l; lli 3 is a side view of the pointer and dial o the circuit closer setting means;` Fig. t is a diagrammatic view of the alarm circuit; Fig. 5 is a, detail sectional View showing means for connecting one terminal of the alarmdevice with an external circuit; the section being on line 5-g5, Fig. l; Fig.' 6 is a front view of the alarm device re-r moved from its casing and with. a portion of the devicein section; Fig. 7 is a erspectiveview of the base structure of W ich the various parts of the alarm device are` mounted; and Fig. 8 isa perspective view of the frame or holder for the cell. v

Referring to the drawing, 1.0 designates a casing of any suitable design, which hasv its-front open and provided with a doorl 10e whereby access to the alariii device Withinv the casing is had. The casin lis adapted to be mounted at any desired p ace Within tlieroom or other place to be pro tected, and it is of such a size as to be conveniently portable and hooked .up by means of a suspension eye 2t or equivalent device arranged at the top of the casing, the casin beingy in `)actual practice about three by 'our by seven inches, although,of.

the apparatus can be ,1 may be of the .multiple disk or Wafer.` type,

as shown, and contains a` volatile liquid.,` such as ether. The rear Wafer. has. a stud belt: 1 4; whichl Passes through en opening 14% iiltheelinortins Plate a; .and on this.,

boltis-:a nutv y15. Whph Serves te remar bly festes the thermostat t0 the' Santorini plate,-it` contact member or bar lQ. exten s. vertically and; deinfrilv aereas the.; freer at tesamen i iic upper end bent backwardly at 12, and terminates ina base 13 which extends behind the thermostat'and is formed with an eye 13 which receives the fastening stud 14: of the latter, whereby the said stud forms a common fastening fortlie movable contact or bar 12 and the thermostat. The contact 12 is prevented from turning on the stud 14 as a center by means of a bracket 22 having spaced lugs 22a which receive between them the double or bent portion 12a of the contact element 12.

' The movable or adjustable contact lelement of the circuit-closing means is carried by the arm a', and this movable contact element comprises a spindle 16 which passes through an opening a2 in the arm a', and the inner end of the spindle is provided with an oiset contact extremity 16a which is adapted to coperate with the lower or free end of the thermostatically actuated contact 12, and the outer end of the spindle passes through an opening 16b in the left side of the casing 10, Fig. 1, so that the spindle 16 constitutes a means for fastening the alarm device within the casing. To adjust the movable contact the outer end of the spindle 16 is provided with a milled head 27, and in order to enable the contact to be set so as to cause the alarm to be energized at any desired temperature, the spindle 16 has a hand 17 which is adjustable over a dial 18 arranged on the left side of the casing 10. Byturning the head 27 in one direction the contact extremity 16a is moved away from the thermostatic contact 12, so'that the circuit will be closed only at a highertemperai ture, and when the head 27 is moved in the opposite direction it brings the contact extremity 16a of the spindle 16 closer to the thermostatic contact 12, and thereby causes the circuit to be closed at a lower temperature. The head 27 and the pointer 17 are removable from the spindle 16, which latter has a squared outer end 16, Fig. 6, so as to receive the head and pointer. The spindle is shiftable longitudinally in the openings a2 and 1Gb, so that it can be moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 6, to thereby enable the alarm device to be removed from the casing. To limit the movementv of the spindle in inserting it in the opening 16h, a collar or shoulder 19 is provided thereon so as to engage the member a of the supporting' plate a, and consequently the contact extremity 16a will assume a position in line with the thermostatic contact element 12.

A bell B is fastened to the plate a in a position to occupy the lower part of the casing, the thermostat being arranged in the upper part thereof. This electric bell B is of ordinary construction and includes a base b, electro-magnets b', an armature b2, a vibrating contact b3, a xed contact b4, a

hammer b", and a gong 5. One terminal of the electro-magnets b is connected by a wire b with the thermostatic contact 12, the end 68 of such wire being clamped between the base 13 of the contact 12 and the thermostat 11. The other terminal b of the electro-magnets is connected'with the fixed contact b4, and is adapted to be grounded through the latter, spring contact 68 and frame or base b of the bell, such frame being connected in any suitable manner with the adjustable contact 16 of the circuit closer. A cell C'is removably mounted in a holder D, which latter is constructed as shown in Fig. 8. This holder comprises a base d and arms d so arranged as to grip and retain the cell C, which is of the dry type. The base d is securely fastened to the supporting base plate a by screws d2, as shown in Fig. 6, and the frame b of the bell overlaps and bears on the left marginal portion of the base ai, so that this frame or holder D, which is metallic, will be electrically connected with the bell. On the cell holder D is a contact member ais which is disposed against the member a of .the supporting plate a, and on this member a is a sleeve or contact d4 spaced dnd insulated from the contact member d". The cell C has spring terminals c and c which are adapted to bear against the contacts d3 and d, and as the metallic sleeve d4 is electrically grounded on the adjustable contact element 16 of the circuit closer, and as the contact cl3 is electrically connected with the frame of the bell D, it is obvious that the cell is included in circuit with the circuit closer and bell.

To understand in a general manner the electric circuit, reference is to be had to Fig. 4. When the thermostat expands and causes the contact 12 to engage the contact extremity 16, the circuit will be completed, so that the cell C will supply current which will energize the bell B. The connection between the contact element 16 and one terminal of the cell is represented in Fig. f1 by the wire but in the actual device the sleeve d4 and cell terminal c are equivalent to this wire rv. In the diagram the connection between the cell and bell is indicated by the wire but in the device this part of the circuit comprises the cell termina-l c, contact member als, base d of the cell holder D and frame b of the bell. The connection between the bell and thermostatic element 12 is designated by the wire 67, which is equivalent to the correspondingly designated wire in Fig. 1.

t may be desirable to use the alarm device in connection with an outside circuit, and consequently binding posts or equivalent means 20 and 21 are arranged on the casing, and these binding posts can be connected as shown in Fig. 1 with one or more bells e and a source' of current f, and when the apparatus is used in this manner-that I 21`fvvhich lead to and are electrically conlnected with theA sleeve it and base d ot the cell-'holding framelD, such conductors being `itastened to thefbase'plate a ot the de-V vice. 'lhe complete circuit'comprises the source of currentY f, bells e, binding post AE20, conductor 20, sleeve dt', contacts 16 and 12, v'vire t?, the bell B, cell.l holder trame D, conductor Q1, bindingpostQl andsource f.

- The bells e can `be located in any place in the building Where persons are vmost likely to hear the lire Warning, and ot' course the thermostatic device Will be mounted at that place Where a lire is most likely to occur. The Whole vinstallation may be in a single 2a b Iuilding,- or the thermostatic device may be arranged in an' out building and' the alarms in a dwelling. UibviouslyI other uses ot'the apparatus are conceivable.A As the -conductors and 2lEL are fastened tothe supporting plate a, which' l'atter'is ,removable from the casing, and as the binding"l posts 2O and 21 are tastened'to the casing',

a simple and ed'ective connecting means bei *tween the conductors and binding posts is ao provided, such means lbeing shown in lll`1g.5. The binding posts include bolts and the heads of such bolts are each providedv with a s houlder 3l, aind each conductorterinmates ina sprin member or tongue 32 which engages un er Ithe shoulder as the alarm device is positionedin the easing.

To render the apparatus more complete the casingv may have on itsoutside, at anyf 'suitable point, as for instance, the-door 10, 40 an ordinary thermometer 26.

liromthe foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and A "method ot, operation will be readily understood by those skilled in thel artto which the invention appertains, and While it have described the principle j of operation, together with the apparatus which l now consider to be the best embodiment thereonll 5o desire to have it understood that the appa- .ratus shown is merely" illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired astt 2. yl`he combination ot a support, a therttt Iniesta-"t, a stud on the thermostat tor tasteningtbe same to the support, a xed contact secured between the thermostat and 31g `port by the said stud and having a movev portlon engaging a movable j. part ot `the thermostat, an adjustable contact related tothe tirst mentioned contact, and an alarm circuit controlled by the contact.

3. ln an alarm device, the combination of a support, a disk thermostat having a relatively fixed back portion and a movable trent portion, a contact element tastened behind the thermostat and ertendin to they front and across the thermostat an engaging the movable portion thereof, and an adjustable Contact movable toward and from the rst mentioned contact, and a circuit controlled thereby.

4. ln a device oit the class described, the combinationot a'thermostan'a su porting stud connected with one side thereot andthe other side being movable with temperature variations, a contact element doubled to straddle the thermostat and having one of its members provided with an eye tor receiving the stud and the other member engaging the movable side of the thermostat tor movement therewith, anadjustable contact associated with the rst mentioned con-4 the other side being movable With temperature variations, a contact element doubled to straddle the thermostat and having one of its members provided with an eye tor receiving the stud and the other member engaging the movable side ot' the thermostat for movement therewith, an adjustable Contact associated with the first mentioned contact, a circuit controlled by the contacts, a support to which the said stud is fastened, and means on the support for engaging the first mentioned contact for preventing the same from turning on the stud as a center.

6. A thermostatic alarm device comprising a support, a thermostat thereon, a contact on the support and movable by the thermostat, a member on the support, an adjustable Contact mounted on the member,

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separate metallic pieceson the member, one

of the pieces being connected with the adjustable contact, an electric bell having one terminal connected with the other metallic piece, a cell having resilient terminals arranged to engage the said pieces, vand an electrical connection between the other terminal of. the bell and the first' mentioned contact. A

7. A thermostatic alarm device comprising a support, a thermostat thereon, a contact on the support and movable by the thermostat, a member on the support, an

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adjustable contact mounted on the member, separate metallic pieces on the member, one of the pieces being connected with the adjustable contact, an electric bell having one terminal connected with the other metallic piece, a cell-having resilient terminals arranged to engage thesaid pieces, an electrical connection between the other terminal of the bell and the first mentioned contact, conductors connected with the said metal pieces respectively, and binding posts connected with the respective conductors.

8. An electric alarm device comprising a supporting structure, a thermostat thereon, a contact moved by the thermostat and mounted on the structure, an adjustable contact mounted on the structure, a metal piece connected with the adjustable contact, a cell holder including a metal piece, a bell having on terminal connected with the last mentioned metal piece, an electric connection between the other terminal of the bell and the first mentioned contact, and a cell removably1 mounted in the holder and hav- .ing terminals arranged respectively to electrically connect with the said metal pieces.

9. An apparatus of the class described comprising a casing and an alarm device removably mounted therein, said device comprising a support, a thermostat thereon, a `bell on the support, a circuit closer comprising two contacting elements, one being arranged to be moved by the thermostat and the other serving as a means for removably jholding the alarm device'within the casing.

10. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casing having an opening, an electric alarm device removably mounted therein, said device comprising a supporting `structure including a member having an opening arranged in alinement with the opening in the casing, a thermostatically actuated contact element on the said structure, an adjustable contact slidable-in the opening of the said member and engageable in the opening in the casing, whereby the said adjustable contact forms a locking means for holding the device in the casing, means for. connecting the two contacts in circuit with a source of current, and a signal device mounted on the said structure and included in circuit with the said contacts.l i

11. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casing having an opening, an electric alarm evice removably mounted therein, said device comprising a. supporting structure including a member having an opening arranged in alinement with the opening in the casing, a thermo- .statically actuated contact element on the said structure, an adjustable contact slidable in the opening of the said member and engageable in' the opening in the casing, whereby thel said adjustable Icontact forms a locking -means for holding the device in the casing, means for connecting the two contacts in circuit with a source of current, a signal device mounted on the said structure and included in circuit with the said contacts, an indicating element arranged outside the casing and removably mounted on the said adjustable contact, and a dial outside of the casing and coperating with the indicating element.

12. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a casing having an opening, an electric alarm device removably mounted therein,` said device comprising a vsupporting structure including a member having an opening arranged in alinement with the opening in the casing, a thermostatically actuated contact element on the said structure, an adjustable contact slidable in the opening of the said member and engageable in the opening in the casing, whereby the said adjustable contact forms a locking means for holding the device in the casing, means for connecting the two contacts in circuit with a source of current, a signal device mounted on the said structure and included in circuit with the said contacts, binding posts on the casing, and conductors on the structure having interlocking engagement with the binding posts.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specilication in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM' E. HOWELLS.

Witnesses:

FRANK R. BENJAMIN, M. E. BENJAMIN. 

